Refrigerating apparatus



1931- M. c. TERRY ET AL REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Fild Feb. 15, 1929 INVENTOR5 W50 CZ z-z'y Patented Jan. 20, 1931 MATSON C. TERRY, MILTON KALISCHEB, AND THOMAS A. BUCKLEY, OF MANSFIELD,

OHIO, ASSIGNORS TO WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC AND MANUFACTURING COMPANY,

A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Application filed February 15, 1928. Serial No. 340,273.

This invention relates to refrigerating apparatus and particularly to that type of apparatus which is designed for household or shop use.

An object of the invention is to provide an evaporator for such an apparatus which shall be durable, rigid, and easily assembled.

orator, within the confines of which may be located either the expansion valve, or thermostat, or both, thereby obviating the necessitv of mounting these instruments on' the outside of the evaporator where they are liable to be damaged in handling and shipping, and where they interfere with the smooth, unbroken, cleanable surface of the evaporator.

Another object of this invention is to provide an evaporator having a particularly effective freezing compartment, and provided with means to assist inthe ra idtransfer of heat from the substance to be rozen to the refrigerant coils.

The invention further provides an assembled refrigerating apparatus, horizontally removable from the refrigerator cabinet, and in which the evaporator'is suspended below the heat-dissipating unit in such a manner that heat transfer between the evaporator and its suspending means, and the base to which the suspending means is attached, is

effectually prevented.

More specifically, a suspending means' is provided, a portion of which is of insulating material, thereby providing a seal against heat transfer between the evaporator and the supporting base.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings, wherein, V I

Fi ure-1 is a perspective view of a mechanically-cooled refrigerator cabinet with the refrigerating apparatus in operative position.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the removable portion of the upper front bracing strip. Flg. 3 is a perspective view of the im roved evaporator, and the base from whic it is suspended.

Fi 4 is a rear elevation of'the evaporator showlng' the thermostat and expansion valve 111 operating position.

Fig. 5 is a sectionalview of the eva orator taken-on the line V-V of Fig. 4 and coking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view through one of the insulatingmembers for attaching the evaporator to the supporting base, and

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the finishing strip. 1

Referring to the drawings, wherein is shown a specific form of the invention, 10

designates a refrigerator cabinet having a storage compartment 11 adapted to be closed by doors 12.

The refrigerating apparatus adapted to be applied to this cabinet comprises a base 13 on which is supported a sealed motor-compressor unit 14 and a condenser 15. A motor control switch box 16 may also be supported on the .base.

A cooling unit 17 is suspended from. the

base 13 by means of two L-shaped pipes 18,

the cooling unit being attached to the long arm of each of said pipes by means of bolts 19 whichpass upwardly through lugs 20 welded to the evaporator by flanges 21. The bolts pass through openings provided in the lower surfaces of the pipe and are retained by nuts 22. Openings 23 are provided in the upper surface of the pipes above the bolts to enable the nuts to be manipulated.

The short armof each L-shaped pipe is welded or otherwise fastened to a plate 24. A cylindrical block 25 of insulating material,

and provided Withan opening 26 is fastened to the upper side of plate 24 by means of screws 27 The opening 26 coincides with the opening 28 in the hollow supporting pipe, thereby permitting the passage of conduits therethrough. The insulating blocks are fastened to the base by means of bolts 29 which project u wardly through the block and base 14 and t rough a retaining plate 30. Nuts 31, provided on bolts 29 retain the blocks firmly against the base. 7

The cooling unit comprises an outer metallic shell 32, open at both its ends. This outer shell may be provided with longitudinal corrugations 33 to increase its rigidity. One or more pressed metal pots 34 is mserted within the shell and soldered ,or welded thereto at an outer edge thereof, asindicated at 35. Two such pots are indicated in the drawings, although it will be apparent that any number may be provided, depending entirely on the size of evaporator desired. These pots serve as a freezing compartment for receiving trays containing articles to be chilled or frozen. pressed inwardly into the walls of these ots. These projections serve as supports or s ides for the ice-making trays 3'7.

A pressed metal pot 38 is inserted into the opposite end of the shell 32 and is welded or soldered to the shell as indicated at 39. This pot provides a recess for receiving the thermostat 40 and expansion valve 41. Refrigerant expansion co1ls 42 are wrapped about the pots 34 and 38 in thespaoe between the walls of the ots and the walls of the shell 32. A remova le plug 43 is rovided in the outer shell for permitting t e space between the pots and shell, and surrounding the refrigerant expansion coils to be filled with a cold Y storage solution, for example alcohol and water.

In assembling the cooling unit, the free ends 46 and 47 of the coil 42, which has previously been formed on a suitable mandrel, are passed through openings provided in an enlarged portion 48 of pot 38. The formed coil and pot are then inserted in the shell 32. Pots 34 are then inserted within the shell and within the coil 42, which has substantially the contour of the shell 32. The edges of the shell and pots are then welded, as indicated at 35, 39 and 44.

One end of the expansion coil is connected to the expansion valve 41 by a conduit 49, while the other end is connected to a conduit 50. A conduit 51 is provided for carrying refrigerant from the condenser 15 to the expansion valve, and conduit 50 carries expanded refrigerant from the expansion coil to the compressor. Both these conduits pass through one of the hollow pi s 18, and the opening 26 provided in .one ol the blocks 25, and thence to the designated apparatus.

A conductor 52 passes from switchbox 16 through the remaining insulating block and hollow L-shajpfed pipe to the' thermostat 40.

A portion'53 o the top front bracing strip of the refrigerator cabinet is made removable (Fig. 2)' and is providedwith two spaced semi-circular slots 54; Spaced semi-circular slots 55 are likewise provided in the fixed Longitudinal. projections 36 are portion 56 of the bracing strip, so that when w e strip for a purpose to be hereafter described.

In applying the assembled refri erating apparatus to thebox, the base 13 is s id horizontally on the top of the cabinet until the cylindrical-blocks 25 are received in the slots 55. The removable portion 53 of the bracin strip is then bolted to the fixed portion, wit its slots 54 enEircling the rotruding ortion of the blocks 25. A finis ing strip 5 (Fig. 7) may then be fastened to portion 53. This strip is made of the same material, and has the same finish as the rest of the outer surface of the box.

The cooling unit previously described is preferably enameled on its exposed surfaces so that it is smooth and easily cleaned. The pro ections 36 which are ressed in the 'walls of pots 34 to serve as sli es for the ice trays, contain brine solution when the evaporator is filled through plug 43. Inasmuch as the trays 37 are supported directly by these brinefilled projections, a particularly effective transfer of heat from the tray to the brine and expansion coil is effected and the time required for making ice is materially reduced. A door 58 may be provided on the open ends of the respective freezing compartment to increase the efiiciency of the com artments.

While we have shown an described a cooling unit having two freezing compartments, it will be apparent that the number which may be used is limited only by the amount of ice desired to be made.

Locating .the thermostat and expansion valve within the confines of the cooling unit instead of in the customary position on the outer surface thereof, permits the cooling unit to have a smooth unbroken outer sur-' face which may be easilycleaned.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description' that we have rovided an eflicient and practical means of suspending a cooling unit from'a base within'a refrigerator cabinet in such a manner that the base and cooling unit may be horizontally removed from the cabinet without dissembling the apparatus. 1

It will be further apparent that the-suspending means provides excellent insulation against heat transfer between the base and the cooling unit.

The cooling unit included in this invention is particularly adapted to quantity production as it has relatively few parts andas ea 1y assembled. Furthermore, its freezing c vpartments are designed to effectively" rodu'ce .r

parent that other forms may be provided, all coming within the scope of the appended claims.

We claim as our invention:

1. A cooling unit com rising a doublewalled hollow shell provi edwith inwardly extending recesses at opposite ends.

2. A cooling unit comprising an open ended shell, at least two pots within said shell in back to back relation, and fastened at their outer edges to the shell.

3. A cooling unit including a freezing compartment having an opening, and a second compartment having a recess in a direction opposite the opening in the freezing compartment.

4. A cooling unit having a freezing compartment at one end thereof, a second compartment at its opposite end, and a pressurereducing valve in the second compartment.

5. A cooling unit having a freezing compartment at one end, a second compartment at its opposite end, a pressure-reducing valve and temperature-responsive device in the second compartment.

6. A heat-absorbing unit comprising a brine tank, a freezing compartment in said tank, a second compartment in said tank in back to back relation with the freezin compartment, and expansion coils within the tank and surrounding both said compartments. v i

7. Refrigerating apparatus comprising a heat-dissipating unit mounted on a base and a heat-absorbing unitf the heat-absorbing unit bein suspended rom, and located beneath an close to, the heat-dissipating unit, but spaced therefrom, conduits interconnecting said units, and a refrigerator cabinet having insulated walls defining a storage chamber, the top insulated wall being fixed and integral with the cabinet and forming a heat-insulating portion between the base carrying the heat-dissipating unit, which is supported by the wall, and the heat-absorbing unit located within the storage chamber beneath the wall, means for suspending the heat-absorbing unit from the base, said means including a heat-insulating portion,

said top insulated wall being provided with a recess at its edge for receiving the insulating portion of the suspending means.

8. Refrigerating apparatus comprising a heat-dissipating unit mounted on a base and a. heat-absorbing unit the heat-absorbing unit bein suspended from, and located beneath and but spaced therefrom, conduits interconnectiug said units, and a refrigerator cabinet having insulated walls defining a storage chamber, the'top insulated wall being fixed and integral with the cabinet and forming a heat-insulating port-ion between the base carrying the heat-dissipating unit, which is supported by the wall, and the heat-absorbing close to, the heat-dissipating unit unit located within the storage chamber beneath the wall, means for suspending the heat-absorbing unit from the base, said means including a heat-insulating portion, said top insulated wall being provided with a recess at its edge for receiving the insulating portion of the suspending means, and said interconnecting conduits passing through said insulating portion.

9. Refrigerating apparatus comprising a heat-dissipating unit mounted on a base and a heat-absorbing unit, the heat-absorbing unit being suspended from, and located be neath and close to, the heat-dissipating unit but spaced therefrom, conduits interconnectmg said units, and a refrigerator cabinet having insulated walls defining a storage chamber, the top insulated wall being fixed and integral with the cabinet and forming a 10. In a refrigeratlng apparatus, a base,

a heat-dissipating unitmounted on the base, a heat-absorbin unit, means for suspending the heat-absorbing unit from the base, said means comprisin a heat-conducting portion and a heat-insu ating portion located between the base and the heat-conducting portion, and conduits interconnecting said units, said conduits passing through both said portions.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto subscribed our names this 6th day of February, 1929.

MATS ON C. TERRY. MILTON KALISCHER. THOMAS A. BUCKLEY. 

